The week after they had won the Inter-Cities fairs Cup by beating Ferencvaros in the final which had been held over to the
beginning of the 1968-69 season, they were defending
it in Belgium
where they met Standard Liege in the first leg of their first round tie. They
started off their new campaign in determined fashion and held on as they had
done in the Final in Budapest for a
goalless draw against strong opposition. Fresh from a 3-0 win in the Belgian
League over Daring of Brussels Standard felt that Leeds would not be able to
repeat their defensive super-performance in the Sclessin
Stadium and they had lively attackers in the Hungarian Antal
Nagy, who was to become Belgium’s top scorer that season with twenty goals, and
the German Erwin Kostedde, who would later achieve
the same feat with twenty-six goals in 1971. Kostedde
went on to become the first coloured player to represent Germany
in 1974. Standard did not seem to miss the charismatic free-scoring Roger Claessen who had departed for the Bundesliga
at the end of the previous season.

They had a nine men who stood at least six foot
tall and were confident that they could cause United trouble particularly in
the air. They also possessed a strong midfield. It comprised Belgian
Internationals Leon Semmeling and Wilfried
Van Moer, Belgian player of the year in 1966,1969 and
1970, and later to captain Belgium to second place in the European Cup and be
voted fourth best in the European player of the year award in that year. Louis
Pilot, commonly acclaimed as Luxembourg’s
best and most capped player and Henri Depireux, who
was unfortunate to have played the same position as Belgium’s
captain and highest rated player, Paul Van Himst and
later to coach at international level, completed the well respected midfield.
The Defence was also strong with Jean Nicolay, the
Belgian International keeper, who had won the country’s player of the year
award in 1963. Leon Jeck and NicoDewalque were Belgium’s
regular central defenders as was left back Jean Thissen
and for their home tie Jacques Beurlet completed an
all Belgian international defence.

Against such opposition United were well pleased with a goalless draw in a
tight game, particularly as they were lacking the services of Johnny Giles and
Eddie Gray, and once again it was goalkeeper Gary Sprake
who was the hero prompting YEP’s Phil Browne to
report, “ The whole side could thank Sprake for the
fact that they were not behind. He had a positively inspired twenty minutes
getting him round after round of applause although he was frustrating the
strong home attack. Sprake was just unbelievable. He
had to face a barrage of shots from close range but his responses were
electrifying. High and low he soared or dived in panther-like style and three
times kept the ball out of the angle only by brilliant acrobatics.

United fielded the side that had won in Budapest and set the pace early on
with Terry Cooper going close after a fine solo run. Gradually Standard Liege
took control through Leon Semmeling’s speed and skill
down the right preventing Terry Cooper from making any more progress as an
attacker and the pressure mounted around the United
goal. Gary Sprake answered the call and was in
brilliant form despite needing treatment on a damaged ankle before the match.
He confidently dealt with a Wilfrid Van Moer thirty-five yard rocket and then did well to keep out
an Erwin Kostedde shot after Antal
Nagy had clipped the bar with an in-swinging corner.

United also hit the woodwork when Mick Jones clipped the ballover
the advancing goalkeeper Jean Nicolay, only to see it
come back off a post. Gary Sprake smothered the ball
at Anton Nagy’s feet and just before half-time Erwin Kostedde
hit the woodwork before Paul Reaney headed a Leon Semmeling centre off the line. As United’s
attacks became more sporadic, they contented themselves in playing the ball
around in midfield and a lively match petered out into a tame draw as United
extended their unbeaten start to the season to thirteen games.

Match Action:

David Harvey, Gary Sprake, Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter and Jack Charlton play cards at Yeadon Airport on the way to Belgium

Mick Jones watched by Nico Dewalque

Players:

Jean Nicolay was in goal. The Full-backs were Jacques Beurlet and Jean Thissen

Nico Dewalque was at right half and was in central defence with Leon Jeck at centre-half while Louis Pilot was left-half

Leon Semmeling was on the right wing in midfield with Wilfried Van Moer at inside right. Antal Nagy was centre forward